Incipient
by ScintillaCupake
Summary: With the bells restored Harmonica Town is yet again a quiet, peaceful place. However, when a terrible storm hits, Molly falls into the ocean, and the villagers are only just able to rescue her. Brought up on land, she's barely alive, and with the doctors missing the Wizard is her last hope. Casting a desperate spell, Wizard saves Molly's life... But it costs both of them gravely.
1. Chapter 1

The villagers of Harmonica Town didn't know much about the wizard, but they did know this; He barely left his house, he rarely rushed anywhere, and he _never_ showed his emotions. At that moment though, he was dashing through the rain towards the clinic, his hair a mess and his cloak drenched. He was following after Toby, but he was hardly even paying attention to the young fisherman. Just that morning, he'd shared tea with Molly. She'd been smiling and laughing, her cheeks slightly flushed from the cold, and she'd looked so... So _alive_. But just moments ago Toby had burst into his home, stuttering and yelling, claiming that Molly was in danger. No, not in danger— She was _dying_. And that was all it took to get Wizard where he was, practically ignoring the storm raging around him.

 _He was terrified._

At some point he managed to pass Toby, and once they reached the clinic he didn't hesitate to practically slam the door open. Normally, he would've taken note of the trembling auras of the others in the clinic, but in that moment he could only focus on one, barely a whisper of a soul, but there nonetheless. It was a good soul, a kind soul, the kind that seemed so ordinary and yet it had the power to change people's lives. And, perhaps most frighteningly, it'd already changed his.

Everything except for the faint feel of Molly's aura blurred to the Wizard, and next thing he knew he was standing beside where she was lying down. He wished he could say she looked as if she were just having a peaceful nap, but if anything she looked like more like she was having the most traumatizing nightmare of her life.

"...Molly...?" There was no response.

Suddenly though, there was a hand on his shoulder, and everything else was swarming back to life. He turned his head.

"Wizard," Began Toby, out of breath but determined still. "Ozzy managed to rescue her, but she inhaled so much water, I━ She inhaled way too much. We found her in the ocean, I don't know _why_ she was in the ocean in such a storm, I... None of us know what to do, but surely there's some magic you can preform, right?" He sounded desperate. Taking in a slow breath, Wizard finally had to note the other people in the room.

"Where... Where are the doctors?" He asked.

"We don't know. Before the storm started though I heard Jin and Irene were going to go take a walk in the forest and collect some herbs. They shouldn't have taken that long though, they should already be back━ Oh god I hope they're okay━" Though Toby continued to speak, Wizard stopped listening. Molly, with her drenched hair and sickly pale complexion, about to die with the only doctors in town missing, was all he could focus on. He'd never be able to chat with her again, or share tea with her, or just sit with her and appreciate the stars. _Never again_.

"━Wizard!" Someone shook his shoulder, and he was sucked back into reality. "Can't you do something? Anything? Isn't there some magic you can use to save her?"

He opened his mouth to say no. Then stopped. _There might be a way_. It was a forbidden spell, or at least for all but the most experienced magic wielders. But it was a possibility. A shimmer of hope. And the only chance Molly had at this point. It was risky, reckless, and in the worst possible outcome both he and Molly ended up dead. But IF he could control it, IF he could remember the words just right, IF he could pull it off... Molly just might live. And though the Wizard had never been a fan of 'if's and 'maybe's, one more look at Molly━ One more flicker of her soul really━ And Wizard had made up his mind.

"...Yes. Stand back. Everyone." The people in the room obliged, pressing themselves against the walls. But Wizard was no longer even distantly aware of them. He was locked onto Molly's aura, her _soul_ , and slowly he gathered his energy. At first the effects were slow, invisible to the onlookers. But his magic grew. It grew and it grew and it grew, and not long after the villagers began to _feel_ the magic pulsing around them, searching for it's target, they could _see_ it. It was a soft white glow, which turned into a hard bright light, and it engulfed both the Wizard and Molly. Wizard murmured something under his breath. Then he stood, hesitating for only a second before gently grabbing Molly's hand.

The magic drained from the room, first gathering around Wizard, before traveling down his arm and settling around Molly. All was silent for a moment. The villagers began to creep forward. And then the light flashed again, slithering back up Wizard's arm, latching onto him. The light became too intense for the villagers to even attempt watching, and then it happened.

The villagers heard Wizard scream for the first time.


	2. Chapter 2

Drifting in and out of consciousness, Wizard would only be vaguely aware of the people chattering anxiously about him before slipping back into darkness. Each time he lost consciousness, he'd find himself in a dark room, trembling with fear, and an odd... _Emptiness_ , inside of him. There was a buzz of noise just outside of his vision, but it was that emptiness that scared him the most. Each time it would grow larger and larger until he was in a full on panic, but after a few cycles of it finally he woke up entirely.

He opened his eyes, and the first thing to catch his attention were the unfamiliar surroundings. At first it disoriented him, put him on guard— Though you'd never be able to tell from his face alone— But slowly he adjusted to his new surroundings, forcing himself to take deep breaths. His shirt was damp with sweat, and he heard the soft patter of rain outside. He was in the clinic. He'd come there before to— _Molly_.

Though he didn't feel as stable as he'd like, he carefully sat up in his bed. _Who'd put him there?_ No no, that didn't matter. He had to find Molly, he had to see if the spell had worked. He could hear people talking in hushed tones in another part of the building. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he stood silently. A wave of dizziness swept over him, and for a moment he thought he might have to lie back down. But it subsided shortly, and so he pressed onward. He took a step forward. And then another. And soon enough he was by the doorway to the reception room, peering through it.

Noting there were considerably less people than when he'd arrived, he also realized something else. _Where are their auras...?_ The usual gentle presence that souls had were no longer there, but he shook his head. He'd exhausted himself, of course his magic would be off. It would explain the odd feeling of emptiness in his chest as well, and he concluded that it'd die away over time. Focusing again though, his gaze sifted through the few remaining people until finally, he spotted Molly, sitting down in a chair with her eyes closed.

Stepping out into the room, immediately all eyes were on him. Someone said something he was fairly certain was directed towards him, but he was finding it hard to focus on anything. _Just make sure Molly is alright. That's what matters right now._

She must've been awake after all, because only a few seconds after the conversation hushed she cracked open her eyes. She looked so tired, so wary, but ah— As quickly as he noticed it it was gone, and she was attempting to stand up. It didn't take magic to know she was still weak, and even as she tried to stand up she stumbled some, having to grab hold of the arm of the chair. Still, she persevered, taking in a deep breath.

"Thank you very much Wizard. I didn't mean to worry all of you, and I'm truly sorry." Her voice was weak and it sounded as if she wanted to say more, but instead she sat back down, giving him a weak smile.

"...You're welcome. Take it easy for a little while." He replied. Without waiting for a response though, he was off.

* * *

Stepping outside of his home, he gently closed the door behind him, looking up at the sky. And yet the stars above him had none of the relaxing effect they usually did, doing nothing to soothe the ache in his chest as he hoped it would. It should've gone away by now. Even if his magic still suffered, the physical _pain_ he felt should've been gone. The worst part though was that his magic wasn't just acting weird— It didn't work at all. And every time he tried to lie down and rest, hoping that all he needed was a bit of sleep to recover, he was plagued by the same nightmares he'd had in the clinic. Finally though, he decided to take a walk, reasoning that no one else would be up this late and thus no one would be there to bother him.

As he walked though, a single thought plagued him. He'd read about similar symptoms affecting other magic-users, but... To this day, he'd never learned of a single case of it where it ended well. Sometimes the stories on those people were incomplete, but more often than not it ended in death. He pursed his lips. It was much too early to make such assumptions, but he made a mental note to look more into it once he returned home. He couldn't even recall what triggered this kind of response, and his severe lack of knowledge on the subject only made him more anxious. He knew more, he was certain of it. He _always_ knew more. And he felt as if he was forgetting something, but even his mind was far more muddled than he'd ever admit.

Looking up with a heavy sigh, he froze when he saw a figure not far in front of him, sitting on the ground leaning against a fence. Molly. It was Molly. covering the distance between them in only a few hurried steps, he swiftly crouched down by her.

"—Wizard?" Her voice startled him, but he didn't even flinch. Was her voice weaker than it'd been earlier?

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be inside resting...?"

"Ah, I'm sorry for worrying you again. It's really nothing, I just... Wanted some fresh air." She brought her arm up, waving it dismissively. Instead of listening though, he only payed closer attention to her. _She's trembling._ Slowly, Molly put her hands on the fence, attempting to push herself up. "See? I'm fine."

"...You're shaking." He stated bluntly. "Do you need help walking back to your house? ...I won't ask you any more questions if you don't want me to." He could see Molly visibly hesitate. Her grip on the fence tightened, and for a moment he was positive she'd decline and continue pretending she was fine.

"Yes please." Her voice was barely a whisper, dripping with guilt. "Don't tell anyone though! I just... I'm sorry. I'm still so weak, but I thought it was a good idea to go out and check on my animals. I saw a stray cat though, and I was just going to check it out and—My legs gave out. I'm sorry," She repeated softly.

"...You don't need to apologize. I don't mind helping you. Come on." Holding his hand out, he patiently waited for Molly to take it, standing still as she adjusted her position to lean most her weight against him. They walked in silence, but neither minded. They'd been friends long enough to know they both appreciated quiet, and it wasn't unusual for them to spend whole afternoons together with barely a word passed between them. It was comfortable— at least for the moments before his thoughts were dragged back to his immediate problems. His body was still a bit sore, his arms specifically aching worse than the rest. But before he knew it, they were at Molly's front door, and he returned his focus to the other in a blink.

He was about to open his mouth to ask her if she needed any more help, but she spoke before he could. "Hey, would you mind staying for coffee? Ah, I know it's late, and I'd hate to hold you up, but I... don't feel tired yet."

On one hand, he was eager to get home and research, but on the other he hadn't been able to shake his concern for Molly all day. Magic or not, she'd been on the verge of death— and surely he could spare a little time to check up on her, right? Nodding and murmuring agreement, he noted her shoulders visibly relax, but said nothing of it as they carefully made their way inside.

* * *

 **Hello everybody! Despite popular belief, I am in fact NOT dead— but I AM ready to finally continue this fic hopefully! I was digging through my files and found all my old plans and outlines for this story, so hopefully I'll be able to get back into this, and I wish you all the best!**


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